Sorry to disagree with you, Naked Webmaster. The only appropriate role for Alex's fatuous drivel is if someone could be bothered hanging it behind a toilet door.

After the remaining dregs of our Board have been banished into the wilderness, I suggest we locate the genius who authorised publication of The Naked CEO. I would really like to hear his or her justification for inflicting it on an unsuspecting world at our expense.

There is a special thanks to Jonathan Abbott for helping Alex "bring the book to life" and a thanks to Jillian Bowen for "passion drive and work ethic for this mission".

Note I was not suggesting there is any role for the book going forward. I think there could be a role for A book or The Naked CEO website or A website targeting young accountants. All the material would probably have to be rewritten.

I guess it's been a long time since he's been told an idea was bad e.g CPA Advice, AGM in Singapore, focusing on only one demographic of CPAs & the hell with the rest..etc..I guess he can take his own advice from his u tube presentation entitled 'suck it up' and remember what he said about listening to everybody even those who don't like you...and working to get them to like you. As opposed to ignoring the majority of the demographic, gag orders, threats of litigation, blaming & complete arrogance. Not to mention the threat that he's a wog and therefore be scared, really, your not even Italian. Perhaps you have more in common with your Greek heritage than you are prepared to admit....CPA Advice $12M+ failure vs the whole of Greece. Not forgetting the typical Greek way of at least 12 properties...now I'm wondering if he paid tax?

Schoolies at Lorne
ALEX MALLEY news.com.au
•
IT WAS more years ago than I’d care to admit, but I vividly remember being 21 years of age.

Beneath a headstrong facade hid a perplexed kid, riddled with nerves about succeeding on the professional road that lay ahead. I concealed these feelings of uncertainty because I thought that’s what would impress an employer: an uber-confident young talent with an unmistakable hunger to get ahead. Surely they would respond well to someone who was outspoken, bold and unmistakably ambitious.

Upon entering the full-time workforce I applied this attitude in droves. While I thought I was doing the right thing, unbeknown to me I was damaging my reputation. It started to become apparent that my colleagues perceived me as somewhat arrogant, closed minded, and difficult to work with.

My career advancement was limping rather than sprinting. I’d watch peers receive promotions while I hovered in the same position, brimming with resentment.

Rationalising it was just a simple case of not finding the right job, an environment that would finally let me shine, I propelled myself down a path of short-term stints in various organisations, becoming increasingly disillusioned every time I job-hopped; where was this professional utopia? It took me a few years to realise that utopia doesn’t exist. It wasn’t the particular organisation, culture or people that were clamping my progress; it was my misguided attitude. My professional disappointments were no one else’s fault but my own. Coming to terms with that wasn’t easy, but ultimately, and thankfully, I did.

Justin Bieber just turned 21. What lessons do you think his older self would give to him?

Today, I am a CEO. My many missteps as a young professional are a chief reason why I spend a significant amount of my time mentoring young people throughout Australia and abroad. I want to help them avoid making the same mistakes that I did.

During these mentoring sessions I am always reminded of my fledgling missteps, and what I wish I’d known as a young professional. If I were to have a mentoring session with my 21 year old self, here’s what I would I tell that bull-headed young person:

KNOW YOUR IMPACT

Self-awareness in business is paramount. Not identifying or understanding the impact your behaviour has on others is a professional pitfall and will limit your progress. Observe how people respond to you. What is their body language like when you speak or enter a room? If it’s noticeably negative, is there anything you should be doing differently?

This is not about changing who you are as a person: it’s about finding better ways to relate and work with your colleagues. Taking the time to listen, observe, see things from someone else’s point of view is essential to knowing your impact and building solid relationships.

FOCUS ON THE MOMENT
Ambition is great. Blind ambition is not. Constantly focusing on reaching the next level of your career will detract from your responsibilities and relationships at hand. One of the biggest annoyances for any manager is an employee who expects more responsibility before they’ve mastered in their current role. Master your current role and you will be invited to the next level much quicker.
BE GRACIOUS IN DEFEAT

Looks like he has advice to give his current 56 year old self also. Like, 'know your impact' & 'be gracious in defeat' Your impact has hurt all CPAs and the wider profession in many ways and rather than accept that, you blamed everybody else. You are now a laughing stock and the poster boy of what not to do, enjoy. That $4.9M payout is not going to make that feel any better either is it, enjoy!